Case Study

Chicago’s Youth Apprenticeship Model

Chicago, like many large metropolitan areas, faces both workforce skills gaps and youth unemployment challenges. Employers report difficulty finding workers with the right technical and soft skills; young people (especially high schoolers) often lack exposure or access to pathways into in-demand careers.

Junior high Black students arrive to school via school bus.

Context

Chicago, like many large metropolitan areas, faces both workforce skills gaps and youth unemployment challenges. Employers report difficulty finding workers with the right technical and soft skills; young people (especially high schoolers) often lack exposure or access to pathways into in-demand careers.

Program Description

  • Chicago has implemented youth apprenticeship programs that allow high school students (ages ~16-24) to work with employers while also receiving classroom instruction. These are structured to combine paid on‐the-job training (OJT) with related technical instruction (RTI), making the earn-and-learn model achievable during and after school.
  • These apprenticeships are often “registered,” meaning they meet formal standards and result in credentials recognized by state or federal authorities.

Key Features

  • Payment from day one: Apprentices earn wages while learning, rather than doing unpaid work.
  • Partnerships among employers, schools, and workforce/education intermediaries to align training with industry needs.
  • Flexibility in scheduling and instruction to accommodate school schedules. Some apprenticeships are integrated into high school curricula.

Outcomes & Impacts

  • Students gain real work experience, income, and industry‐recognized credentials, which improves their employability and earnings growth.
  • Employers benefit by gaining access to a pipeline of trained young workers, reducing hiring/training costs, and better matching workforce supply to demand.

Challenges & Lessons

  • Balancing classroom and work time with school obligations; school schedules can limit on-the-job training hours.
  • Ensuring continuity of instruction (RTI) and maintaining partnerships among employers, schools, and training providers.
  • Support services (transportation, employer buy-in) are critical to make the model work, especially for youth from under-resourced communities.

For more information

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